The drivers of illegal mining on Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon

• Published in: The extractive industries and society Vol. 16; p. 101354
• Main Authors: da Silva, Carlos Fabricio Assunção, de Andrade, Mauricio Oliveira, dos Santos, Alex Mota, Falcão, Viviane Adriano, Martins, Suelem Farias Soares
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2023
• Subjects: Brazilian Amazon; Clandestine transport infrastructures; Illegal mining activities; Indigenous peoples; Spatial analysis; Brazilian Amazon; Spatial analysis; Clandestine transport infrastructures; Illegal mining activities; Indigenous peoples
• ISSN: 2214-790X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exis.2023.101354

•Illegal mining occurs in 17 Indigenous Lands (ILs), occupying an area of approximately 200 km².•72% of the total area of indigenous lands affected by illegal mining have clandestine airstrips within their areas.•16.3% of indigenous lands have clandestine airstrips within their boundaries.•Areas with mining requests, Unofficial roads within the Indigenous Lands, and clandestine airstrips in the buffer are the drivers of illegal mining in the Indigenous Lands.
This study provides a fresh perspective on the main drivers of illegal mining in the Amazon Biome, with special emphasis on developments on Indigenous Lands (ILs). It focuses specifically on how clandestine transportation infrastructure catalyzed illegal mining in these areas in Brazil over the period 2008 - 2021. The methodology adopted comprised a spatial analysis using Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and a binary logistic regression. Results from the Kernel density analysis reveal an upward trend in illegal mining over the past five years, particularly on the lands of Kayapó, Munduruku, and Yanomami. The regression results identified areas with mining requests, unofficial roads on the ILs, and clandestine airstrips in the buffer as primary drivers of illicit activity in ILs. These findings underscore the challenges posed by clandestine transportation infrastructure in the Amazon for Brazilian authorities and indigenous communities struggling to preserve forests and protect territories.